SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE

Ayman Helo

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Energy Management.

2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract

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Chapter One: Energy and Building Materials 1.1- Introduction 1.2- CDW and Energy 1.3- Building Materials 1.4- Resources of building material 1.5- Building materials and nature 1.6- Embodied energy and life cycle analyses.

1.7- Sustainable building materials

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Chapter Two: Introduction to Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) 2-1- Identifying CDW and resources of waste 2.2- CDW types and differences 2.3- Data about CDW and Facilities that deal with CDW 2.4- How we have been dealing with CDW in the US 2.5- How other parts of the world have been dealing with CDW

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Chapter Three: Analysis and Characterization 3.1- The economy of CDW 3.2- Cost of wasted materials 3.3- New technologies in this field 3.4- New building technology and CDW

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Chapter Four: On-site practices 4.1- Design-bid-build and the gap between designing and build 4.2- Building site issues and how to deal with waste 4.3- CDW Management Process On-Site

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Chapter Five: Best examples for dealing with CDW 5.1- The Hierarchy of Waste Management (3Rs) 5.2- How to reduce CDW 5.3- Best examples for dealing with CDW 5.4- Codes and regulations 5.5- LEED certification & Good practices in this field

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Chapter Six: Results and Discussion 6.1- What did I learn 6.2- Assumptions and results 6.3- Evaluate the material I searched and my favorite ideas

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6.4- Conclusion and recommendations 6.5- My message and next goal Chapter Seven: Summary and Conclusion 7.1- Summary 7.2- Conclusion

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References

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Bibliography

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Websites

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure

Page

1.

Global Greenhouse Emissions by Major Sector

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2.

Global Carbon Emissions from Fossil Fuel Combustion 1870-M2020

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3.

Electric Power by Generation Source in USA 2021

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4.

Energy Consumption in USA by Energy Resources 2021

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5.

Classification of Building Materials Based on origin

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6.

Energy Consumption in the US by Sector

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7.

Greenhouse Emissions in the Us by Sector

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8.

Cradle-To-Grave Assessment for Building Materials

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9.

Embodied Energy in Common Building Materials

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10.

The Three Pillars for Sustainability

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11.

Sustainable Building Materials

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12.

Building Materials Closed-loop Manufacturing Strategy

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13.

History of CDW generation in the US 1990- 2018

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14.

CDW Generation Based on Type of Construction Projects

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15.

Comparing CDW & MSW Data in 2015

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16.

US 3D Printing Technology Market Size, Construction Method 2016- 28

48

17.

The Growing Number of LEED Certified Projects in The US since 2000

53

18.

The Hierarchy of Sustainable Waste Management (3Rs)

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19.

Sustainable Solutions to Reduce CDW generation

67

20.

CDW Sustainable Management Roadmap

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LIST OF TABLES Table

Page

1.

Usage of Building Materials in Average House Structure

15

2.

Different Material Volume in CDW Generated in The US

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3.

CDW Management Data in 2015

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ABSTRACT Energy is the source of life and the key to our prosperity. Generating the energy, we need, has been the goal of scientists and inventors for centuries. Generating energy ended up causing a lot of harm to the health of the environment because of the polluting technologies we have used since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Instead of helping humanity flourish and enjoy a better quality of life, energy generation has put humanity’s very existence on this planet in jeopardy.

We have found ourselves and the surrounding environment with two choices. To either continue polluting our planet and eventually bring life as we know it to extinction, or work together responsibly, as hard as we can to save our planet from ruin. We, humanity as a whole, carry the responsibility to repair the damage we have created over time.

Since every human on this planet must help repair the struggling environment, I would love to be a part of this noble mission and help where I can. I choose to be on the side of science and the conscience of humanity. Global warming is a proven scientific fact that cannot be material for argument.

Clean air, clean water, food, clothing, and shelter are the fundamental daily needs important for human survival. They are responsible for most of our energy demand. When we increase efficiency for serving basic needs, we create opportunities for great energy conservation which would improve the overall health of our environment.

Modern advances in science and technology have reshaped the way we construct and maintain buildings. Building designs, construction, maintenance, and demolition are all subject to new developments in science and technology. Science and technology can help us build better with less environmental impact. Reducing construction and demolition 1

waste can help reduce the environmental impacts and energy consumption. This goal can be a great help for humanity and would help build a cleaner and more sustainable future on this planet.

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CHAPTER ONE ENERGY AND BUILDING MATERIALS

1.1- Introduction We as humankind take for granted numerous things in our life. We depend on buildings in every aspect of our lives. One of the biggest personal dreams many people share is to build their own house or to own a building. Buildings are more than just a place for shelter, protection, and service. People use buildings to express their culture, feelings, beliefs, and interests. People built remarkable buildings and structures even for their dead.

Architecture and building have been a real reflection of the level of achievement for any nation since humans started to establish communities and civilizations.

Buildings have developed from the building of the primitive hut and carving caves to the building of pyramids, skyscrapers, and underwater structures. Some civilizations were more successful than others in their building technologies and in choosing better building materials. There are some differences between buildings based on their style, function, and structure materials… but all buildings share some common things, especially that they all need upkeep, and that they have a limited lifespan.

We invest a lot of money, effort, time, and energy into choosing our building materials for constructing our structures to remain strong and safe. We need to make sure that we do not waste these materials and we do not bleed our resources, by doing this we reduce costs and secure the sustainability of these building materials. I want to analyze building materials in this chapter to understand more about these materials as an introduction to the topic of this thesis.

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1.2- CDW and Energy Someone asked me once what the relationship between CDW and energy management made me choose as a topic for my research? I thought this question might be in the mind of many of us, so I would like to answer it at the beginning of my research. It is important to remember that energy is the main element that we need to do work and create things and materials.

Our buildings, facilities, and structures are built by energy and all materials or equipment are built using energy as well. When we excavate, process, manufacture, form, store, install or deliver materials we consume energy. This energy consumption and processing are major factors that impacted the environment and cause innumerable environmental crises that we suffer.

It is quite a common sight for each of us to see dumpsters full of construction waste and other construction waste services, no matter where we live. With the increasing number of construction sites, construction waste has also been on the rise putting more pressure on the fields of waste management and environmental protection.

At every stage of any building’s life, there will be some waste materials that need to be properly managed. Generating construction waste starts at a very early stage of the building process. When an excavator or a bulldozer rolls into a lot to prepare that lot for the foundation of a new building, the waste generation starts. During the building phase, construction waste occurs if the building is in progress. Every building needs to be renovated or updated at some point in its life. Every renovation or update can also generate construction waste. When any building becomes too old or unfit for use, demolition and

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building removal bring an end to that building but not to the building materials that were contained in that building.

I worked in the field of construction and renovation for many years in different countries. During that time, I realized how important it is to have good management procedures for collecting, securing, transporting, treating, and disposing of construction waste in order to have successful project management.

To see the amount of construction waste produced from a single construction site is enough to make anyone wonder where that much waste goes and what exactly happens to this waste after leaving the site.

The study of waste management is a requirement for the specialty of energy management. Treating waste in a responsible, sustainable, ethical manner has a great impact on energy consumption and the health of the environment. Learning about energy and sustainability raised more questions for me about the management of this type of waste.

My goal in this thesis is to learn more about this important topic and to try to explore the best methods by which to deal with construction and demolition waste. My passion for this topic comes from my desire to be part of the solution for this type of pollution and its dangerous impact on our planet. Any reduction in CDW generation means a reduction in wasted energy and any successful recovery or reuse of CDW components means energy recovery. There is a real value in CDW that deserves to be studied and analyzed so we would be able to save material, energy, money, time, and effort.

Directly and indirectly, CDW increases greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

Mining, excavation, and landfills impact air quality, freshwater resources, and natural

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habitats. Waste generation weakens the ability of the environment to support biodiversity which helps the environment's health.

Human flourishing and comfort depend on generating energy and securing healthy sustainable conditions and resources. Energy generation became a controversial topic since we became addicted to fossil fuel combustion economy and lifestyle. The dominant wasteful mentality in consuming and trashing materials has been the main reason for endangering our natural resources and for the global warming phenomenon.

The main two goals I can highlight for CDW sustainable management are to conserve energy and natural resources. These two major goals can make a difference in our environmental health, natural resources preservation, materials cost efficiency, social habits, and public awareness.

Protecting the environment and securing a better future for generations to come is a noble mission that deserves a lot of work and effort. Sustainability can be a lifestyle and common culture worldwide but there should be a way to educate the public and raise awareness of the profound consequences of our irresponsible practice in our daily life. We are running out of time to reverse the damage we created to our only home in this universe.

I still have a great belief in humanity and our consciousness to start acting as well as we can to make our life and our future better.

Because the US is the largest CDW generator in the world, a new sustainable standard for managing CDW would make a great difference in this field. The US can follow the steps of the EU and set a target goal of reusing and recycling 70% of CDW because our nation has the ability and the technology to achieve such a goal or even beyond that.

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Energy generation is still the major cause of greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale. We need energy in everything we do in our daily life, whether for essentials like food, transportation, clothing… or for non-essentials like leisurely activities, entertainment, tourism…

As shown in figure 1, generating energy is the biggest cause of greenhouse gas emissions among the main other sectors on a global scale. Generating energy nowadays is the main challenge in fighting global warming.

Figure 1. Global Greenhouse Emissions by Major Sector We still can enjoy the same lifestyle we are used to, but we must find cleaner resources for generating the energy we need responsibly and sustainably. The data worldwide is very shocking because the global greenhouse gas emissions continued to increase rapidly between 2010- and 2020.

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Carbon emissions and other greenhouse emissions continued to increase even after signing the historic Paris Agreement on 12 December 2015. The last international reports showed that most of the countries that agreed to fight climate change did not meet the goals they promised to achieve in the short term.

According to Daily carbon dioxide calculations at www.co2.earth/daily-co2, the latest concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on Apr. 5, 2022, was 419.72 ppm, compared to 418.71 ppm which was recorded on Apr. 5, 2021. We see an increase of 1.01 ppm (0.24%) in just one year.

As shown in Figure 2, global greenhouse gas emissions especially Carbon Dioxide Are still increasing. We still did not reach yet a point where these emissions start dropping and the path for Earth's atmosphere recovery obviously starts. To reverse the curve, we need immediate real international cooperation and serious changes in all sectors.

Figure 2. Global Carbon Emissions from Fossil Fuel Combustion 1870- 2020 8

Electric power generation in the United States still depends on fossil fuels mainly as the major resource of electric energy generation. Renewable clean energy is still below expectations in the field of electric generation so far. This small share of renewable energy in the energy industry in the United States is not as great as it should be. There is a lot to do in this field to create harmony between our energy demand and our environmental health.

Energy generation can be sustainable and renewable by increasing our clean and renewable resources and becoming carbon-free. Depending on fossil fuels must become a secondary choice, especially in the US. We have plenty of clean resources that can provide us with the largest percentage of our energy consumption. We need to invest more in the sector and use all possible eco-friendly technologies to generate the energy we need.

As shown in Figure 3, the latest EPA reports show that 59% of electricity generation in the United States comes from fossil fuel combustion. Renewable energy is still to grow to reduce the impacts of fossil fuel combustion. For these reasons, we must be very efficient when comes to energy consumption and general consuming habits.

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Figure 3. Electric Power by Generation Source in USA 2021 Since we still depend on non-clean energy resources especially for the generation of electricity, reducing energy consumption without any doubt would reduce the environmental, economic, and social impacts. Nowadays, we have more ability and more integrated technology to generate renewable energy depending on natural clean resources. Fighting global warming and helping our planet to recover starts with efficiency and reducing energy consumption as a priority. The optimal solution for meeting our increasing energy demand is by investing more in clean and renewable energy technology.

As shown in Figure 4, the monthly share of renewable and clean energy in the consumed energy in the United States is still very small compared to the share of fossil fuels.

The picture is clear and shows how much work we still need to do in the field of clean and renewable energy.

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Figure 4. Energy Consumption in the USA by Energy Resources 2021 An efficiency strategy is a great tool to reduce energy consumption and conserve our natural resources. Sustainable management for CDW can increase the efficiency of our buildings or facilities. The less energy we consume on our buildings and the fewer emissions our buildings contribute; the fewer impacts could affect the environment. This is an important share in our war against the disaster of global warming and saving humanity's future on Earth.

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1.3- Building Materials, Types, and Resources Any material used to build a civil structure is considered a building material. To build any civil structure such as a building, a bridge, a stadium, or a dam, we need to use one or more building materials. As shown in figure 5, building materials can be classified into two major categories: a-

Natural building materials: all building materials that are available in nature

are natural building materials.

Examples of these materials: - Wood or lumber - Mud and clay - Rock and stone - Thatch or grass - Brush and fibers - Ice has also been used as a building material b-

Artificial building materials: all building materials that must go through

human processing.

Examples of artificial building materials: - Brick and Block - Concrete - Metal - Glass - Tile and ceramic - Plastic

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- Foam and insulation material Figure 5 shows a schematic to classify building materials in a table. This table identifies the source of each group of building materials based on natural materials or artificial materials.

Figure 5. Classification of Building Materials Based on Origin Building materials can also be classified based on the function they are mostly used for: - Structural basic materials: materials that are mostly used for building footings, base, and the main structure. For example, reinforced concrete is the most common material for building below grid level.

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- Special functional materials: secondary materials that are used in buildings to do a specific function. For example, roofing materials are used in buildings to prevent water leakage into buildings.

- Finishing and decorative materials: materials that add durability and a level of comfort to the buildings. For example, paint is used to make buildings custom designed and to increase the visual charm of buildings.

Buildings in general have a mix of multi-resource materials that have different basic chemical structures. Each material has its specifications for use, strength, performance, durability, and life span. The amount and type of waste produced from the building process, remodeling, or demolition depend on the nature of each material that is used in each building. It is important to classify the used building material before ordering material to build a good strategy for storing and dealing with each material to reduce waste at building sites. Table 1 shows examples of how quantity and quality of different building materials that could be used in the typical house structure.

Choosing building materials submit mostly to design standards. Architects and structural engineers have the upper hand in deciding the material that would be used in any building during the design phase. For that reason, designers carry a big responsibility in reducing waste at buildings through the structure building phase, finishing, maintaining, and the demolition process at the end of these buildings’ life.

Reusing and recycling CDW can save money for contractors and owners. In some cases where some leftover materials occur onsite after finishing the project, donations to charity or the public can be the best choice since it is classified as 501(c)3 and are taxdeductible.

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Referring to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) estimated that 8,000 pounds mated that builder of CDW is produced for every 2,000 square feet of a house. A 1995 NAHB survey estimated that builders pay an average of $500 per home for waste removal.

As shown in table1, the average quantity, and percentage of major types of building materials used in average house structure.

Table 1. Usage of Building Materials in Average House Structure 1.4- Building materials and nature Buildings have direct and indirect impacts on humans and nature. Buildings are responsible for most of the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Buildings are also a major source of pollution and waste. The process of building and the operational systems at buildings consume a great amount of energy. The environmental footprint of

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buildings varies based on many elements such as building materials used in these buildings, design, function, etc.

As shown in figure 6, energy consumption in The US varies based on sector. Based on the last report of EPA on energy consumption during 2021, the building sector directly consumed 39% of total energy consumption. Other indirect energy consumptions can be added to building energy consumption from the consumption of transportation and industrial sectors that are related to the building sector.

Figure 6. Energy Consumption in The US by Sector As shown in figure 7, the buildings sector is directly responsible for 38% of greenhouse emissions in the US, compared to other major sectors. When we take into consideration emissions from other major sectors especially the industrial and the transportation sectors that are related to building and demolition projects, this percentage becomes higher.

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Figure 7. Greenhouse Emissions in The US by Sector We have been using building materials from non-renewable natural resources for centuries aggressively in most cases. Our heavy demand for building materials left scarves on the face of our planet and created some environmental issues that cannot be ignored.

Mining is one of the biggest destructive human activities to nature. Natural landscaping has changed. Water bodies and other natural resources have been affected or destroyed because of mining. Losing natural habitats has messed up the stability of ecosystems and put more species on the list of endangered species.

Extracting natural stones, marble, and granite has even erased mountains and major natural landmarks over time. The increasing need for steel and other metals that we need for buildings encouraged the mining sector to grow bigger. More mining means more destruction to nature and more pollution.

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Credit for the picture-1https://marble.com/art/wp-content/uploads/img/Apuanquarry.jpg Creditforthepicture-2https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8a/56/47/8a5647fe595aa0ca35a87a7a9e5b6385.jpg

The process of extracting and processing building material may also involve using some hazardous materials that can cause harm to nature, humans, and wildlife. There are also more impacts on the other natural resources such as aquifers, forests, and agricultural soil. Dust from these processes may cause health risks for living species including humans.

Acid rains, soil depletion, eutrophication, ozone depletion, dust, and noise pollution are part of the direct and indirect environmental impacts of the industry of building materials. Since most of the energy used in the process of extraction, manufacturing, transportation, installing, updating, and demolition of buildings comes from fossil fuels, the building materials industry is responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse emissions. The emission from this industry is responsible like other sectors for the climate change that resulted from global warming.

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1.5- Embodied energy and life cycle analyses.

Building materials can be subject to analysis measurements like any other material used to evaluate the carbon footprint sustainability of buildings. Embodied energy is the energy that is expended in building a given product from raw materials to become a usable item. This includes the energy from material extraction, refining, processing, transporting, storing, advertising, and other manufacturing or selling processing.

Calculating the amount of embodied energy for different building materials helps to decide the carbon footprint for the buildings even before they get built. Some materials have much higher embodied energy than others. For example, steel and aluminum have high embodied energy and on other hand, wood has very low embodied energy. Choosing building materials has a direct influence on energy-conscious designing and planning. The relationship between architectural designing fields and energy conservation is essential to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings and global warming. lifetime cycle analyses (LCA) are a great measurement to calculate the environmental impacts of any product. LCA is a scientific analysis of a product from the process of extracting through all production and using stages to the end-of-life stage for that product.

LCA is called cradle to grave assessment. This methodology is a comprehensive ecofriendly evaluation of building materials.

As shown in Figure 8, building materials go through many processes and stages from extracting processes to the final stage of material decomposing. This figure summaries the “From the Cradle to the Grave” methodology that calculates embodied energy and lifetime analysis for building materials.

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Figure 8. Cradle-To-Grave Assessment for Building Materials The end-of-life phase for building materials has a major role in deciding which materials to use in buildings. We want to use materials that will not create more harm to the environment when we do not need to use them anymore. The materials with lower environmental impacts throughout the phase of manufacturing, using, and dismantling are considered to be eco-friendly materials and these materials must be top choices for our buildings.

Understanding the embodied energy and life cycle assessment helps us understand different impact categories. We can understand the greenhouse emissions category and the potential impacts of buildings on global warming. We can also understand the natural resource category and how much natural materials we waste such as water usage and energy waste. We can evaluate the potential pollution generated from buildings so we can 20

reduce soil depletion, water bodies, and aquifer pollution. This data can also help us reduce the toxicity of building material and the health impacts on humans and other living species.

As shown in Figure 9, embodied energy needed for different common building materials varies based on the type of each material.

Figure 9. Embodied Energy in Common Building Materials Per these analyzing methodologies and mechanisms, we realize that building materials are a major sector that consumes the largest percentage of our non-renewable natural resources and energy. The building materials industry and buildings are also responsible for the largest percentage of pollution and GHG emissions and have the greatest environmental impacts.

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Using building materials from local resources is a great choice to reduce the embodied energy for these materials. Depending on local materials is an effective environmentally friendly technique because it reduces energy consumption, reduces deforestation, decreases the use of non-renewable energy resources, and reduces waste production.

In MR Credit 5, LEED v2009 “regional materials” were defined as materials that have been extracted, harvested, recovered, or manufactured within 500 miles radius around the project side for a minimum of 10% or 20%, based on cost, of the total materials value.

If only a small percentage of the building material is extracted, harvested, recovered, or manufactured within 500 miles of the project site, then only that percentage (based on weight) will credit to the regional value.

In the V4 LEED reduced Regional Materials, integrating it as a contribution multiplier in the BPDO credits. However, the distance has been reduced to 100 miles from the project site, and more considerably, current wording and interpretation do not allow for any partial accounting – 100% of raw material sourcing and production must occur within 100 miles of the project site.

1.6- Sustainable building materials Through classifying the building materials, we use at our building, we can realize that we have been depending mostly on non-renewable building materials in our buildings.

On the other hand, we used a small percentage of building materials from renewable resources.

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According to the Oxford dictionary, sustainability is identified as: ‘the use of natural products and energy in a way that does not harm the environment.’ We learned that sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Based on the descriptions and identification for sustainability, building materials can be subject to the standards of sustainability as well as any other material we need in our life.

Figure 10 is a schematic presentation of the mythology of sustainability and the three fundamentals that must be combined to create the principle of sustainability. As shown in Figure 10, sustainability is based on three essential pillars: environmental sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability. Any project must be studied to meet all three essential goals. We cannot achieve successful sustainable management for CDW if we harm the environment or cause harm for the livability conditions for the surrounding residents in the present or the future.

Figure 10. The Three Pillars for Sustainability 23

Our choices for which materials to use must take into consideration the abundance of this material and it should come from a renewable source. We should not use a material that would lead to bleeding their origin and their supply. Reused and recycled materials can reduce the need for producing new building materials. Building materials must serve their purpose for a long time with minimum maintenance and repair. We expect building materials in our building also to cause no harm to humans or nature and wouldn’t cause any hazardous risk even after demolishing or disassembling the building. Sustainability must be the strategy for architectural designers and developers.

Building materials can be considered sustainable if they can meet these goals: 1.

They must reduce demand for unlimited resources from the built

environment during their life cycle.

2.

Increase built environments’ energy efficiency and energy performance.

3.

These materials must cause no harm to the occupants’ health or their

comfort.

4.

Easy to install, flexible application, and can adapt to the environment

without any impacts.

5.

Extracting, processing, or using these materials must not cause any harm to

air, water, or natural resources.

6.

Extracting, processing, or using these materials must not cause any harm to

biodiversity and natural habitats.

In the US we have many green standards that have established standard that controls the sustainability and the eco-friendly measurements for our green buildings. For example, the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program process

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explores all opportunities for buildings’ improvement including a practical focus on life cycle costs and payback analysis, energy conservation, daylighting, recycling, reducing waste generation, use of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials, and techniques.

We also use the concept of green material to describe the carbon footprint of building materials. Materials that have less footprint and help the building to become more eco-friendly are called green building materials. Efficiency in building material cost at the same time these better must have a quality that could enhance buildings and living conditions. The theoretical goal for green buildings is to have buildings that sequester carbon instead of emitting carbon into the atmosphere. For that, many materials can fit the standards of green materials and help our building to be an eco-friendly system.

As shown in Figure 11, a summary of the main elements those sustainable building materials s must meet sustainability standards to achieve the goals of sustainability.

Reducing waste generation in sustainable buildings is an essential measurement for sustainability.

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Figure 11. Sustainable Building Materials Our building materials must comply with the needs of future green urban planning.

More urban growth is expected to continue at an increasing rate all around the globe. The economic growth needs more demand for buildings and more building material waste is expected to be generated in the future. We should leave a good example for the future generation by making our buildings less polluting and making our building materials more sustainable.

Reducing our demand for non-renewable resources and reusing or recycling CDW are our top priorities to comply with sustainable and green building standards. The method of the closed-loop economy can help us control our building materials generation and consumption to reach an optimum method for sustainable building.

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Figure 12 shows a diagram for building materials closed-loop manufacturing strategy. In this economic principle building materials find another useful life even after disassembling the structure in which they were used.

Figure 12.

Building Manufacturing Strategy

Materials

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Closed-loop

CHAPTER TWO INTRODUCTION TO CDW

2-1- Identifying CDW and resources of waste Waste, in general, can be defined as a material that is not wanted or unusable. As we realized from the name CDW can be identified as the waste that has been generated during the construction of a building process or the demolition of a building. The Department of Environmental Conservation identifies Construction and demolition waste as uncontaminated solid waste resulting from the construction, remodeling, repair, and demolition of utilities, structures, and roads; and uncontaminated solid waste resulting from land clearing.

I can recap the definition of construction and demolition waste as all types of waste that result from land clearing excavation, the process of construction, maintenance, demolition, remodeling, or repairing of structures, roads, infrastructures, and utilities.

Even though CDW is a type of solid waste, this type of waste does not submit to the protocols of municipal solid waste. The City of New York, like almost every major city around the world, leaves managing waste or debris generated from construction or demolition to private sector service companies. The responsibility of treating this type of waste was a very tough issue to deal with.

Waste Management, in general, is essential in our life. Waste has been a major environmental and health issue and had caused serious impacts on our life. The scientific standards for managing waste made waste less harmful to humans and the environment. In many cases waste became a source for many useful things. Waste would be very helpful 28

for us in many ways such as energy generation or recycling. Construction and demolition waste can be managed in a sustainable manner that makes this type of waste less harmful and more useful.

New York City used the past demolition debris and excavation dirt, especially from the tunnels and the subway system, to expand the area of the Island of Manhattan on behalf of the rivers. Such an option is not part of the city policy and I do not believe it will be in the future. But this experience was a good example of managing construction and demolition waste.

As shown in Figure 13, the officially recorded data in the US about CDW generation shows an increasing level of CDW generation every year. As shown in Figure 13, the data collected between 1960 through 2018 and published by the EPA in the last report about CDW generation, shows the annual increase in CDW.

Figure 13. History of CDW Generation in the US 19902018 29

Analyzing the history and other data about CDW generation can help us build a sustainable management plant to deal with more CDW in the future. It is clear based on the trends of this market that it is unlikely to see less CDW generation in the future and must start preparing for that very soon.

2.2- CDW types and differences As we learned from identifying CDW, this type of waste can contain many different building materials generated from buildings, roads, bridges, facilities, and other structures.

Some building materials that may be classified as toxic or may contain any toxic or hazardous components such as asbestos, lead, mercury, and petroleum products must be excluded and must be treated differently to avoid any possible harm to humans or the environment.

Legally, CDW can contain only allowable materials such as concrete, metal, rock, brick, wood, glass, and soil. CDW can be disposed of at specialized facilities. Any illegal dumping or mixing of the CDW with toxic or hazardous waste may lead to criminal charges and other consequences.

The main goal of classifying CDW into different types is to make it easier to handle, treat, and dispose of these materials. The variety of materials that can be contained in CDW depends on the building age, function, and architectural and structural styles for each building or site. For example, we expect more concrete in CDW generated in California and more timber in CDW generated in Pennsylvania.

Materials can be found in CDW can be characterized by the following summary: 1- Concrete.

2- Brick.

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3- Ceramic and clay-based materials.

4- Wood, lumber, and wood boards.

5- Ferrous metals.

6- Non-ferrous metals 7- Gypsum and plaster.

8- Asphalt, waterproofing, and roofing materials.

9- Glass.

10- Fiber-based materials.

11- Plastic.

12- Paper and cardboard materials.

We can find some toxic and hazardous materials that must be treated appropriately and responsibly. These materials can be summarized in the following list.

1- Asbestos.

2- Treated wood.

3- Paint.

4- Chemicals.

5- Light fixtures that contain mercury or any other hazardous material.

6- Materials that contain lead or any other hazardous material.

7-

Fuels or any other petroleum material.

As shown in Table 2, major material generated at construction and demolition projects in the United States in 2018, based on material type. During this time, about 24.2 million tons of concrete were generated as waste during construction and demolition.

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Table 2. Different Materials Volume in CDW Generated in the U.S. (in million metric tons) 2.3- Data about CDW and Facilities that deal with CDW Based on an estimate by The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 600 million tons of CDW were generated in the United States in 2018. EPA estimated that 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) were generated in 2018. Comparing the mass of CDW to MSW shows that the US generates CDW double the mass of MSW. I found a very important fact through the EPA data, that demolition represents more than 90 percent of total CDW generation, while construction represents less than 10 percent. This fact helps in deciding the best management method to deal with CDW in the US.

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As shown in figure 14, CDW generation varies based on the type of construction project. High-rise building projects are responsible for one-third of the total CDW generated in The United States.

Figure 14. CDW Generation Based on Type of Construction Projects The MSW generation data in 2018 showed that an average American generated 4.9 LBs of MSW every day. Based on that, the average CDW generation in the US is about 10 LBs per capita every day.

I found from the European Commission Environment data dated 12 December 2008, that CDW represents more than a third of all waste generated in the EU. I found more data about CDW in the EU in a book by Mohamed Osmani (Waste, 2011), Osmani states that in the EU, more than 450 million tons of CDW are generated every year.

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I found very interesting new research published on Dec 7, 2021, by Statista Research Department about CDW generated in the State of Kuwait. In 2019, 15.7 million metric tons of CDW were generated in Kuwait. Kuwait has a small population of about 4.4 million and I was surprised by the large mass of CDW that was generated in such a small country. The average for CDW annual generation by capita there is about 3.568 million metric tons, After searching through the data about CDW in many countries, I found that CDW generation is a very serious issue that needs more attention. The volume of CDW generation varies between different countries around the world. CDW generation in India is about 0.1 ton per capita, in China about 0.2 ton/ capita, in Japan about 0.6 ton/ capita, 1.6 ton/ capita in European Union, 1.7 ton/ capita in USA, 2.8 in Abu Dhabi and about 3.5 ton/ capita in Dubai.

Analyzing this data gives a good understanding of the issue of CDW and the volume of the generation that will continue to increase and become more serious. This large amount of CDW generation also gives a good understanding of the amount of waste of building materials and natural resources we need to fabricate these materials.

There is a direct connection between economic growth and the amount of CDW generation in any given society. The more we build, the more waste we generate. This relationship explains the annual increase in CDW when we analyze the CDW generation data. Based on these facts we must be prepared to treat and manage more CDW in the future on a global scale.

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2.4- How we have been dealing with CDW in the US By this point, we became knowledgeable about the impacts of CDW and what it could mean for environmental and human health. Waste, in general, has been a material of study and improvement over time to reach the optimal method of treating waste responsibly and safely. CDW has been also an important field for researching and studying to reduce the impacts of this huge volume of waste on humans and the environment.

In this part of my thesis, I want to review the methods that have been used to deal with CDW and analyze these methods to learn from our experience and practices.

I-

Landfills

A landfill is simply a specially designed well or hole built under engineering specifications to maintain waste material under safe conditions for the health of humans and the environment. We can summarize the mechanism of managing waste at the landfill by burying it and covering it with soil. Landfills are also designed to be sealed to protect the surrounding environment especially underground water and soil from getting contaminated by toxic leachate.

The idea of a graveyard for waste or what we know as a landfill is a very controversial topic. Landfills need a large land area, and this area must be suitable for such a special facility. Building a landfill is costly financially and take a lot of operating and maintenance cost over time.

The environmental risks from landfills are very serious that cannot be ignored.

Landfills have been related to many health problems, especially for the residents of the surrounding areas. Bad air quality, noise, unpleasant odor, bugs, and parasites are examples of what residents who live close to landfills have been complaining about. Building new

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landfills always face a strong rejection and resistance from the residents and environmentalists. It is one of the common “Not in my backyard” projects people can agree on.

Using landfills to bury down CDW is a legal method in the US. Referring to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); a C&D landfill receives construction and demolition debris, which typically consists of roadwork material, excavated material, demolition waste, construction/renovation waste, and site clearance waste (40 CFR section 258.2). C&D landfills do not receive hazardous waste (40 CFR section 261.3) or industrial solid waste (40 CFR section 258.2) unless those landfills meet certain standards and are permitted to receive such wastes. Building materials containing lead and asbestos are also regulated by EPA. https://www.epa.gov/landfills/industrial-and-construction-and-demolition-cd-landfills Landfills can receive CDW but no hazardous waste even if that waste was generated from construction or demolition sites, and hazardous waste cannot be mixed with other types of CDW. When we discuss this method, we must take into consideration all impacts and negative experiences of landfills in general. CDW can be labeled as large volume material that takes a significant amount of space at landfills and does not decompose easily over time. This method is not the best to manage CDW and a big percentage of reusable materials end up unnecessarily being buried in landfills.

Building new landfills nowadays are becoming more complicated and costly than how used to be many years ago. New permits for landfills must go through a long legal, environmental, and social approval before they can get an opportunity to be checked from

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the engineering standard side. Local authorities understand the debates and the public rejection of building new landfills, and they try to avoid getting under this pressure.

This solution does not comply with the goal of sustainable management methods that work with the main three pillars of sustainability. Landfills are not a good economical solution, neither acceptable socially, nor environmentally safe.

As shown in Table 3, the landfill method is still used in managing CDW. The quality and quantity of the materials that is still been sent to landfills must be opening our eyes to the productivity of such a method of CDW management. Most of these materials such as metal, concrete, or brick can still be beneficial for reusing or recycling because these materials are not easy to decompose in a short time.

Table 3. CDW Management Data in 2015

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II. Recycling The Cambridge dictionary defines recycling as the activity of treating materials or products using a special industrial process so that they can be used again. This definition can be a direct description of the idea of recycling.

Recycling is one of the sustainable methods used in waste management. It complies with the standards of the closed-loop economy that helps reduce our demand for natural resources and reduce greenhouse emissions. This method has become more important in the field of treating CDW because it saves time, money, and effort.

Many materials can be found in CDW that still have a great financial value like metal, glass, and concrete. Recycling these materials can be more efficient than extracting and fabricating new material. Recycling has great direct benefits to the job market and the economy.

A good example of CDW recycling can be seen in the business of scrap metal which is one of the important growth markets in the US. Recycled aggregates from used concrete also have become a big growing resource for new construction. Recycling the pavement for roads and highways on site has become a standard method in the road construction field.

There has been a growing global consciousness and understanding of the great environmental value and benefits of recycling material at multi-levels in our daily activities. More facilities have been built for recycling. More codes and environmental protection standards have been enforced to encourage people and businesses to recycle more materials.

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The technology of recycling has developed and has a very promising future. Using smart technology and robotic machines to scan through the collected waste and sort the material, makes recycling more affordable and more efficient.

III-

Incineration

Incineration is another waste management method that turns waste into energy. This method can be used for materials that cannot be reused or recycled, so they do not end up in landfills. The energy generated from incinerating waste is a renewable clean energy source. Waste-To-Energy plants have high environmental standards. They have multifiltering units to control the emission from the incineration process and to keep the surrounding air safe and clean.

There are many benefits of incinerating waste to generate energy. This method is very productive from the economic perspective. It is a very efficient technology because it does not need a large area such as landfills, reduces the volume of waste significantly, and produces reusable bottom ash that may be used even for new building materials such as in gypsum boards and concrete mix.

IV-

Reusing

Reusing building materials has been a good idea for people who are looking to save money or for collecting remarkable building materials. This method could be the best method to deal with some disassembled components or materials such as doors, windows, railing, and bricks. For example, old barn wood siding can be collected and reused in decorating special spaces.

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Many specialized shops or yards buy and sell old building materials for a good value.

Such a business can create more job opportunities and can help reduce the environmental and economic cost of managing CDW. This solution is not a major CDW management option because it is limited based on the type of materials and quality.

Based on the facts from the EPA data, six hundred million tons of CDW were generated in the US in 2018. EPA estimated Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generation in the same year by 292.4 million tons. This means we generate CDW more than twice the amount of MSW generation in the US. EPA estimated that only about 40% (240 million tons) were reused, recycled, or sent to waste-to-energy plants, while the remaining 60% (360 million tons) of these materials were sent to landfills. On the other hand, EPA estimated that only about 32% (69 million tons) of MSW were recycled, about 12% (35 million tons) were sent to energy recovery facilities, and 16% (25 million tons) were composted or managed by other methods. EPA estimated about 50% (146 million tons) of MSW were sent to landfills during the same year.

In the United States, the average generation of CDW during 2018 was 1.65 tons per capita, and MSW was about 0.81 MSW tons per capita. This data shows the scale of CDW generation and the importance of managing this type of waste sustainably and responsibly.

CDW generation and management data need to be further investigated and scientifically analyzed to understand all related factors and habits that make the US one of the largest CDW generators in the world. I could not cover this part in this research because it needs more official data, but it would be very helpful to identify all these factors to learn the lesson in the future.

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As shown in Figure 15, construction and demolition waste generation in the US is twice the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) based on the EPA data. The potential for recycling, reusing, or other management methods in CDW is larger than in MSW. The obvious fact that can’t be ignored is the amount of CDW that has been sent to landfills is larger than the total amount of MSW generation in the US. Wood and other combustible materials could be sent to Waste-To-Energy plants instead of being sent to landfills as a better and more useful management method.

Figure 15. Comparing CDW & MSW Data in 2015 (in thousands of U.S. tons)

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2.5- How other parts of the world have been dealing with CDW The methods of managing CDW all around the world are not different than what we have in the US. I went through many resources to understand if we can find something to learn from the experience of other countries in managing CDW. Illegal dumping of CDW is still a serious issue in many countries around the world.

The major difference I found is the codes and the legal restrictions on managing CDW. These codes aim mainly to reduce the environmental impacts of this type of waste and to encourage using sustainable management methods.

The European Union has a new CDW management protocol with a standard of a 70% recovery to be reused in new building materials since 2020. The EU plan is part of a comprehensive green plan to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050. This objective was not hard to achieve for many countries in Europe like Germany, Belgium, and Denmark, but it was very hard for other countries like Slovakia and Cyprus. Recycling the biggest percentage of CDW is a smart sustainable management method to ensure building materials are circulatory and reused with minimal impacts and maximum benefits.

Japan, Australia, Singapore, and Korea are among the most successful countries in the world in recycling CDW. These countries managed to achieve between 75% - and 90% rates for recycling CDW and reusing that waste in new building materials.

China has a very low percentage of only 5% of CDW that was recycled based on the data published in 2018 from research by Beijia Huang, Xiangyu Wang, Harnwei Kua, Yong Geng, Raimund Bleischwitz, and Jingzheng.

The countries in the Middle East have even less than a 5% rate of recycling CDW.

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The abstractions facing the sustainable closed-circle management of CDW can be summarized as: 1- Enforcement codes.

Legal enforcement codes can help organize this sector and put an end to illegal dumping. The higher standards we must meet create more creativity and open the way for more investments in this field.

2- Technology.

Building enough recycling facilities and providing them with the best available technology can increase the amount of recycled waste and reduce the cost of managing CDW. New integrated technology especially using robotic machines and scanners could help achieve better results and increase the efficiency of CDW recycling.

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CHAPTER THREE ANALYSIS AND CHARACTERIZATION

3.1- The economy of CDW Through the previous chapters, we got a good understanding of the amount of CDW generated and how to manage this type of waste. The mass of CDW generated in the US and the world is significantly huge and needs huge efforts to manage this much generation all year long. This sector is an essential service that must continue to grow and develop to achieve the goals of managing this type of waste optimally. According to the prediction of the ResearchAndMarkets report published on the Yahoo Finance website on February 19, 2021, the global construction and demolition waste management market is to grow at a CAGR of 5.30% from 2021-to 2026.

Managing CDW strategies and methods have developed towards reducing waste generation and then reducing dumping waste in landfills or any other open economy solutions. The need for a circular economy in the CDW industry created more sustainable management methods in this sector. The growing awareness for environmental protection and the international efforts to push for sustainable and clean policies will encourage reusing and recycling more CDW in the future.

Allied Market Research website estimated the global CDW recycling market size was valued at $126,897.2 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $149,190.9 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 2.7% from 2020 to 2027. The global demand for recycled materials is growing as well and the market must meet this increasing demand.

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The sustainable management strategy for CDW is very important for human health, environmental protection, and the economy. The increasing understanding of the need to turn waste into a resource has created an evolution in waste management in general. More public and private investments injected into this sector became an essential infrastructure sector. Introducing smart and integrated technology in this sector enhanced its functionality and increased its efficiency through the years.

3.2- Cost of wasted materials Building materials are costly and take a significant amount of time, energy, and effort to fabricate and transport to construction sites. Studies showed that as much as 30% of building materials may end up as waste. The best for investors and construction managers is to reduce the waste materials as much as possible. Any materials that be saved at a construction site means saving money, time, energy, and effort.

Delivering materials to a site and securing enough materials to keep the project running as scheduled is the top priority of every general contractor and site manager.

Adding the cost and efforts of collecting, sorting, and discharging the waste on the site give us a better understanding of the direct financial impacts of CDW on the cost of building.

Reducing building materials waste would help reduce the net cost of the building process and would reduce the cost of owning buildings and houses. There is a good direct financial benefit to reducing CDW generation on the economy and the society.

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3.3- New technologies in this field Advanced technology has a wide variety of applications in our daily life and activities. The field of CDW management has benefited from science, experience, and integrated technology to develop and enhance strategies and practices. Developing the technology used in this field aims to increase efficiency and reduce waste.

The new technology and using specialized machines in the field of recycling CDW extended the list of materials that can have a second life or even more than two lives. Using CDW was limited mostly to backfilling use, but over time, it became essential in the metal industry, road construction, insulation, furniture, and many building materials. The ability to fabricate new materials from recycled materials opened the way for more integrated and creative technologies.

One of the most challenging issues for the industry of CDW has been the lack of recycling facilities and the cost of operation. The work at a recycling facility goes through many stages and processes. Dividing the waste material and sorting the components before backing and storing or delivering can be boosted by using up-to-date technologies.

Applying smart technology and robotic machines controlled by computers can develop such a facility into a production line.

Recycling and reusing are very productive for the environment and the economy. The technical ability and the knowledge in this field are available but the issue seems to be with the political decision planners. Building more advanced facilities for recycling CDW must be a priority for the authorities because this type of investment has long-term and uncounted benefits. There are many catch-up efforts to do and many regulations to be approved to support the field of CDW management.

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The idea that recycling is a costly process, and a complicated effort has no support anymore because the technology proved the great benefits of recycling for the economy and the environment, especially in the long-term evaluation.

3.4- New building technology and CDW Building technology has come a long way and brought us many new solutions that made the process of construction more efficient and enhance the quality of buildings. Many advantages can be counted off using advanced building materials and techniques.

Introducing prefabrication technology opened more opportunities for using recycled materials and supported the industry of recycling building materials.

Prefabrication technology has been used in different types of buildings and road construction saving costs and efforts in building or repairing roads and highways. Some new prefabricated products contain a big percentage of hard to recycle waste materials such as used tires, plastic, or non-recyclable paper.

The technology of 3D printing also found its way into the field of construction and building. This technology is not limited to small experimental projects anymore. New highquality complex structures can be built in a short time using 3D printing technology nowadays.

The future of 3D printing building technology is very promising. The market for this technology is constantly growing and developing. According to the Grand View Research (www.grandviewresearch.com) report published in Jul 2021, the global 3D printing construction market size was valued at USD 7,081.7 thousand in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 91.5% from 2021 to 2028.

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Figure 16 shows of growth of the size of 3D printing technology in the construction and building market in the past few years and the trends of this technology in this sector.

The size of 3D printing grew up almost 4 times in the last four years. This rapid growth is expected to increase in the following years.

Figure 16. US 3D Printing Market Size, Construction Method, 2016- 2028 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/3d-printing-constructionsmarket#:~:text=The%20use%20of%203D%20printing%20is%20increasing%20in,toward s%20the%20adoption%20of%203D%20printing%20for%20construction.

The application of new advanced technology such as prefabrication, modular design, and 3D printing can help reduce CDW generation. The advanced technology in the field of construction is a computer-based technology that can predict more efficient calculations 48

and plan before the production stages. These calculations give the exact percentage of the to-mix of materials needed for a job and the best way to use materials efficiently especially when it comes to cutting or reforming materials. Many specialized software programs have been used to reduce wasted material to reduce cost.

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CHAPTER FOUR ON-SITE PRACTICES

4.1- The gap between designing and building The day the idea becomes a decision to build any type of building or structure, is the day the process of building starts. The list of options and choices starts shrinking and the focus on what, how, who, and when puts the project on the right track.

Construction and demolition have direct impacts on the environment, human health, and the economy. Sustainable construction and green building principles became a necessity to create more balance in this field and to reduce these impacts. Sustainable construction can help generations to come by securing a valuable industry and circular economy.

Sustainable buildings and structures cannot be achieved only by styles and materials.

The method of sustainable building is comprehensive teamwork that is applied at all stages of the project and through the operational phase. Planning for a green disassembly and decomposing of the structure at the end of its life phase is also part of the sustainable planning method at the very early stage of the project planning. Choosing the purpose and the site besides all planning, detailing, onsite practices, and other construction processes need professional teamwork.

Good team planning and analysis for the project from an exceedingly early stage can ensure reaching better results when the project is complete and in future phases of the project’s life. This essential method of teamwork allows professional and experienced individuals to help decide specifications and details to help avoid problems during the 50

construction stage. Local societies are recommended to be represented in these teams to achieve better harmony and environmental goals besides increasing the social benefits of a project.

The principles of sustainability in construction can be achieved through 1.

Sustainable planning, design, and management.

2. Efficiency in consuming energy and water.

3. Reducing waste generation during all project phases.

4. Using reused and recycled materials is a top choice.

Going paperless is another green and sustainable practice in sustainable construction management to reduce environmental impacts, cost, and waste generation. Successful construction management needs to keep a complete documented record of all progress and actions about the project. This documented record can be reached by the management team for continuous monitoring and analysis of the progress of the project.

Cloud-based smart technology eliminated the need for printed documents and mailing hard copies of project documents in most construction management practices. The data in this type of documented record can be compared to another benchmark data or another project to evaluate the process of the phases of the project.

Designing a new structure must consider `choosing the best materials and construction methods to ensure less waste generation at the end-of-life phase. The less complicated disassembly process increases the possibility of reusing or recycling the building materials.

Most construction projects are still managed traditionally. The common construction method has been almost the same for decades where a developer gets a design for a project

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then chose a contractor to build through bidding and sells or rents the projects to customers.

This method is widely known as design-bid-build.

The traditional management methods have an issue of a serious gap between the design phase of the project and the other phases. In these methods, architects, engineers, and designers set the design and all specifications as separate teams. In some cases, there could be consultants hired by the client or the design team to review the design and construction documents. The contractors’ or the subcontractors’ mission is only to perform the construction process based on the specifications and details they agreed on when they signed the contract. The mission of each team has a start-point and an end-point where their responsibilities are limited to the type and duration of work they do specifically.

The main goal of the client the developer is to get the project finished sooner and to save costs as much as they can, so the final financial profit would be bigger. The operation phase and the end-of-life phase are not very important for most developers because they focus on the financial result to gain by finishing the project.

Building codes and regulations are the main reason to make construction projects safe and of better quality than older projects. Designing to meet the codes and regulations is the biggest motivation behind most of the projects. Many projects go beyond codes and regulations to meet higher standards like LEED certification and other green and sustainable certifications. Aiming just to meet the codes and official standards is not enough to make a real difference in the crises the world is facing because of global warming.

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The number of these sustainable projects has been growing in the past few years, but this number and its percentage are still very humble compared to the large number of projects that are still managed by traditional standards and methods.

As shown in Figure 17, the number of projects registered as LEED-certified in the United States has been growing rabidly in the past 20 years. LEED-certified buildings are more environmentally responsible and generate less waste throughout the building’s life span.

Figure 17. The Growing Number of LEED Certified Projects in the US Since 2000.

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4.2- Building site issues and how to deal with waste Waste generation varies based on project type. Preparing the right plan to manage CDW generation on-site also depends on the type and characteristics of each site. The period, cost, material types, mass, size, mechanism, and other technical details for each site may be different from other similar projects. The main classifications for the project site can be summarized as-

Demolition site, where an existing structure with calculated quality and quantity of material can be assessed to be managed based on a scheduled process.

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A new structure or facility site to be built where waste generation would be calculated based on a benchmark and average assumption.

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Renovation site where waste would be generated through the phase of demolition and the face of rebuilding or finishing. Such a project site cannot be calculated certainly all the time because there might be other hidden parts that could create more waste and take more time than average similar projects.

Every construction or demolition project has a plan and a hierarchy of management system to distribute responsibilities based on specialty and experience. Managing waste generated on the project site is one of the most important missions that a project manager must take care of. There must be a plan for managing CDW before the work at the project site begins. Project managers must find a CDW service company to handle the generated waste on-site until the project is complete.

Licensed and specialized contractors must treat hazardous waste or dangerous waste materials. This type of waste cannot be mixed with CDW or with any type of solid or

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industrial waste per the codes and laws as discussed earlier. This type of waste could be the most complicated and costly type of waste to find on a project site.

Some material on-site that is labeled as CDW could be used at the same site. For example, during the excavation and site preparation process, topsoil and other soil types could be saved on-site for future project use. Reusing CDW at the same site location is a very productive and sustainable method in construction management.

Construction sites cannot store substantial amounts of CDW on-site for health, safety, and space organizing purposes. Site managers try to keep the project site as organized as possible and work progress timed as scheduled. Therefore, they can assess the amount and the quality of CDW that may be generated on-site based on the type of work and the project development.

One of the most challenging habits on-site is the resistance to change. The mentality of being satisfied with the way to do things that controls many professionals makes adapting to new methods and habits on-site difficult in some cases. Project teams at all levels and specialties must get suitable training or education to keep them updated on technologies and strategies. Reducing CDW generation on-site must be a strategy that all project teams understand and agree on to get better results for the good of everyone and our planet.

4.3- CDW Management Process On-Site Sorting CDW is a critical process in managing this type of waste. Some materials as I mentioned earlier can be reused on-site so there must be a plan for identifying these materials and preparing a storing area and the way to reuse them in a further stage of the

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project. Some other materials may be worth a financial value by selling them as they are found on-site like metal waste or special collectible materials.

Classifying and separating CDW based on material type is the first step in managing CDW on site. Reusable and recyclable materials must be separated from other types of CDW. The materials with high recyclable value must be identified, separated, and managed responsibly so they can be smoothly recovered and delivered to the recycling facility. Some other types of materials such as packaging and protection used for delivery materials could be returned to factories and material suppliers so they can be reused in the future without much processing.

As shown in the picture below, the packaging material could be sent back to the supplying or manufacturing facilities so they could be used again instead of wasting them.

Self-credit of the picture.

Project site managers can make a significant difference in this field to reduce generating waste and send out CDW to management facilities. Site managers may have the 56

greatest power to develop and imply waste reduction methods at the project's site. The site managers can find the best CDW service company to help me with a waste minimization plan and shares the same sustainable values and goals.

Site managers also can help raise awareness among the project team since they work closer to the acting side of the project team. The site managers have great influence, especially on the professional laborers on-site who can adapt to new techniques to increase efficiency in using materials and to reduce generating waste.

Using smart technology at construction sites including computers and cloud-stored drawings and documents is becoming more acceptable in the field of construction management. This method reduces the discrepancy between designing and building phases and with that reduces breaking down some of the materials that could be built by a misunderstanding of designs or codes.

Each construction or demolition company must create its own CDW management policy and apply all sustainability standards at all the project phases. Such a policy is very essential in the construction management system. Creating a documented record for wasted generation on site is a very powerful tool that a site manager can create and refer to learn from different projects and previous own experiences. This record can be available for all other management team members to get feedback and recommendations to improve the efficiency of the project management team and reduce waste generation.

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CHAPTER FIVE OBJECTIVES AND SOLUTIONS

5.1- The Hierarchy of Waste Management (3Rs) The concept of 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) in waste management is very essential in sustainable waste management strategy. This concept ultimately aims to reduce waste generation and turn waste into useful resources. The 3Rs concept supports the ecofriendly standard and increases the efficiency of using natural resources, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

This concept can be applied to CDW management as well and would help achieve sustainable management for this type of waste. It can be seen as an integrated strategy in CDW management.

CDW management hierarchy starts with the first R, which is Reduce. Reducing CDW generation is a strategy of preventing that must be considered before starting any project and during the project life stages. When we reduce generation waste, we would be able to concentrate on dealing with less amount of CDW. In simple words, less generated waste means less work, less cost, and less impact. In the next part of this chapter, I will discuss strategies and practices to reduce CDW generation.

The second R is reuse, which aims to turn the generated CDW into useable material without any processing or with little processing. This means some materials from the generated CDW can be tagged usable materials and excluded from the waste tagged material. This method has direct results by reducing the CDW generation mass, safe using

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new materials, and increasing the efficiency of using materials smartly. Many environmental and economic benefits can be gained from this method.

The third R is recycling. According to the Cambridge dictionary, recycling is the activity of treating materials or products using a special industrial process so that they can be used again. This principle of waste management has been improving and developing rapidly, especially in the last two decades.

The number of recycling facilities has increased, and the technology used at these facilities became more integrated and more efficient. Sorting recyclable materials based on material type is the first process of recycling at these facilities done by hi-tech machines.

The sorted materials get compacted and backed up in standard shipping bales. Then materials get shipped to specialized processing facilities that turn these collected materials into new basic materials and sell them to manufacturers who can turn them into new products. This method reduces the consumption of raw materials and natural resources.

Figure 18 shows a diagram of how effective the hierarchy of sustainable waste management (3Rs) is in reducing the volume of CDW generation. Starting by reducing the amount of CDW generation by applying all standards and recommendations would save a good percentage of materials from being wasted. The next method in this strategy is to reuse all reusable materials and then recycle also all recyclable materials included in CDW. After applying all these methods in this hierarchy strategy, the mass of CDW that need to be managed by other methods would be noticeably less and more convenient.

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Figure 18. The Hierarchy of Sustainable Waste Management (3Rs) When we apply this concept in our CDW management, the amount of CDW that needs to be disposed of would shrink to the minimum possible. The non-recyclable CDW components need to be managed in the most efficient way to reduce the impacts on the environment. A very large percentage of CDW is still being sent to landfills because we numerous have enough facilities for recycling materials, and we do not reuse as much of the reusable materials included in CDW.

5.2- How to reduce CDW The best sustainable plan to reduce generating and manage CDW is a comprehensive one that reviews and evaluates our needs and practices and the wholistic impacts of this

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branch on the environment, the economy, and the social health and safety in the present and the future.

Every person can be part of the transition to clean and sustainable solutions for our environmental crises including sustainable management for CDW. The social part of the responsibility to have cleaner and eco-friendly standards and codes for sustainable CDW management is to increase awareness and to elect only officials who share the belief and respect for eco-friendly solutions.

All levels of authority, specialized organizations, and professional individuals who are involved in the sectors of design, construction, building materials, infrastructure, and demolition must work together and propose solutions to reduce the impacts of CDW and increase efficiency in these sectors.

Governments must take the lead in updating standards and codes to meet the challenges we face and enforce all necessary updates to ensure better and sustainable CDW management. Wasting time is not a pleasure and delaying the right action is not a smart thing to do. All countries in the world have the responsibility to save our environment from further down damage.

I want to emphasize the importance of designers, developers, and construction management especially site managers in reducing CDW generation and achieving better and more sustainable solutions in CDW management because of the authority and the experience they have in the fields of construction.

A summary of what they can do to achieve this goal is the following steps- Planning and calculating the best design and construction details and specifications at an early stage of the project planning responsibly to reduce waste.

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- Using industry-standard measurements in design and the matching of sheet sizes to room sizes to avoid unnecessary cutting and to reduce wasting of building materials.

- Construction management must negotiate to return extra and unused materials to suppliers when they buy materials.

- Smart schedule for materials delivery to reduce the risk of storing materials for an unnecessarily long time to keep materials in good shape and reduce the risk of material damage.

- Storing and protecting materials from weather or external conditions that may cause material damage or deforming.

- Training labors and professionals on how to handle and deal with materials and to reduce wasting materials by cutting or mixing by mistake.

- Some small parts of cut or leftover materials may still be useful and can be used in other applications of the project.

- Project site managers must inspect materials onsite and educate the work team about best practices to reduce waste.

- Site managers must keep a record of the amount and the type of generated CDW on-site and analyze the data to evaluate the practices at that site so they would be more efficient in future projects.

5.3- Best examples for dealing with CDW The best CDW management practices and methods that can work according to circular economy methods. The traditional linear economy depends on unlimited use of raw natural resources as they would never end. This one way for materials created multi

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complicated problems, one of them is the problem of is an enormous amount of CDW that I am discussing in my thesis.

The principle of the circular economy makes the use of the materials possible many times so these materials can last as long as possible while also preserving their value and function. The circular economy introduces eco-friendly measurements and practices so we can reduce our dependence on new raw materials and natural resources. This type of economy can significantly reduce our energy consumption and reduce our emissions.

The most successful CDW is the one that can generate the biggest percentage of recovered materials and reduce the impacts on the environment. The efforts to achieve the best practices cannot stop before we reach 100% recovery of CDW, but we know this is just a theoretical goal. The closest to that 100% recovery is our guide for evaluating CDW management practices.

Many CDW service companies took sustainability management seriously and went beyond requirements and standards to reach better and greener management services. It is very common to find sustainable certified companies that offer sustainable management for CDW generated at any project.

Some companies managed to create a great reputation based on the sustainable CDW management services they offer. These companies focus on reusing and recycling the largest percentage possible of CDW and sending the rest of the non-reusable or nonrecyclable materials for Waste-to-energy generation plants as biomass.

It is not a surprise to hear that such a company grantee to reuse or recycle more than 90% of generated CDW. The environmental protection standards are highly respected at

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these companies, and they work hard to produce sustainable solutions in the field of CDW management.

Some companies proudly advertise their ability to reuse or recycle a high percentage of CDW. I tried reaching out to some of these companies to have an idea about their techniques for achieving such a great level of sustainable CDW management, but I did not hear that many details more than what they have on their websites. I do not doubt that they could achieve such a great percentage of recycling and reusing CDW because it is possible and reasonable.

These services deserve to be supported and the good example of best practices in the sustainable development of the field of CDW management must be rewarded. All CDW service companies must be encouraged to adopt sustainable solutions and help in achieving the optimal goal of a circular economy.

LEED has set to recycle a required percentage of CDW generated on a project site to be qualified for LEED sustainability certification. These requirements encourage the project management team to set a plan for managing CDW generated at the project site.

This plan must set goals and must identify at least five different materials included in the generated CDW that can be redirected to avoid sending more CDW to landfills.

The management team in charge of the project must provide a final report with documents showing the total generated CDW and the percentage of recycled, reused, and disposed of materials. Meeting the requirements of LEED and achieving the planned goals, gives the project credit called “Construction and Demolition Waste Management”.

Incineration is also acceptable by LEED standards for CDW management as long the incinerated materials and the process complies with LEED environmental standards. The

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project management team must prove that reusing and recycling were not available for these types of materials. Energy can be recovered from the generated CDW by incinerating part of this waste, so this method is an acceptable sustainable practice.

Since there is no minimum threshold for best practices in CDW management, reducing CDW generation could be the best practice and would help the project earn the waste management credits from LEED if the project team aims to apply for LEED certification.

5.4- Codes and regulations We learned that the principle of sustainability is technically built on three pillars: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability. But the most important element in achieving and securing sustainability is political normative power. Policy means actions and rules that guide all sides of our life. Political leadership has the responsibility and authority to plan, set goals and impose regulations to achieve these goals. Politics holds the upper hand in deciding which practices to adopt in most of our daily life practices.

We have seen a lot of distinctive politicians that consider talking about sustainability and scientifically proven global warming as a type of attack on their beliefs and ideology.

The obstructions and objections that many politicians put in the way of new regulations and standards made the mission of reaching such a goal harder and more frustrating.

The government can help in reshaping technology and practices because the technology developers receive a lot of support from the government. This support must be

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guided towards green shifting to encourage sustainability principles in all sectors of the economy.

It is enough to look at the static numbers to realize how much of the materials we are talking about. Making a systemic change in managing CDW towards sustainable green management would have a great impact on many aspects of the economy and the environment.

From the technical perspective, sustainability is the right choice that would create a balance in our life that improves the health of our environment, support our economy and increase our social health. I do not see any reason for debating what would be a better solution than what used to do so far since the beginning of the industrial revolution because it is time for a change.

It is not smart and not acceptable to have a great industrial economy and to sacrifice the health of the environment or the health of the society. The benefits must be seen on all sides of our life and must be for all. This issue has nothing to do with ideologies or beliefs because it is about improving the chances of future generation's healthy fair life.

Our authorities at all levels must be more open to making the necessary changes need to correct the mistakes we had in the past. The field of CDW is a very important sector that needs to be studied by our authorities to set new rules, codes, and standards that meet the challenges and impacts of the increasing CDW generation.

It would be more effective if we have an updated national policy for managing CDW in a sustainable method. Meeting the challenges of the CDW generation needs the government to move fast and wisely to create a change in this sector. I would love to see

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the American Administration doing more than the EU and set a new progressive plan for sustainable CDW management standards very soon.

In figure 19 a diagram shows the major elements in the field of building and construction that have the main influence on reducing CDW generation.

Figure 19. Sustainable Solutions to Reduce CDW Generation

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CHAPTER SIX RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

6.1- What did I learn To have a better understanding of CDW management and related issues, I found that it is very important to reach out to local authorities, waste management service companies, and construction contractors. The disappointing fact is that I did not find the help I was expecting especially in sharing data about CDW generation and management. Only two contractors from my network who work in the field of building construction and renovation replied to the survey and the questions I asked.

I wish I could find more help, especially from the official departments who oversee managing CDW. This data must be published for the public so people like myself who may use this data for further analysis and academic research wouldn’t have a hard time reaching this data. There is no secret in this type of data to be hidden and hard to reach especially for students and researchers.

Through my experience in building and construction and through the feedback I received from my network, I can summarize the common onsite CDW management practices in the following: 1) Since regular CDW generated on a project site is not regulated as in the case of hazardous waste, construction companies and contractors mostly do not keep a documented record for this type of waste. They may keep cost records, especially the billing receipts for financial and administrative purposes.

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2) Choosing a CDW service company to manage the waste at a project mostly depends on the reputation of that company, the capacity of the company, and the cost to get the job done. Some contractors like to hire companies based on a personal relationship or other personal measurements. Companies like to receive biddings from CDW service companies before they agree on which company to choose for each project.

3) It is not common practice at construction companies to have a scientific policy to manage CDW onsite and to adopt sustainable CDW management methods unless the type of project required such a policy. Most of the projects are still traditionally managing CDW. 4) Reusing part of CDW onsite is still not a policy for site and construction managers so far in the US. There are some difficulties to store or reprocess materials on-site because that may cause conflict with air quality control, health, onsite safety, and noise measurements that must be respected at all project sites, especially in urban areas.

5) The cost of CDW services is variable from one company to another. The type of project, the location of the project, the distance, and some other technical factors have a direct influence on the cost.

6) The cost of CDW services is becoming more expensive, especially in the last two years.

This fact is making it harder to convince construction companies and contractors to accept sustainable management methods because of the cost.

The data and facts about CDW generation and management show clearly that we need to make systemic changes in our policies and practices. Our traditional methods of managing waste in general and especially CDW, have no chance to meet the predicted increase in CDW generation in the future. Landfills are not the best method to manage

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CDW and it will be harder to continue to send waste to landfills in the future and it will even become the too expensive solution.

Technology is the key to solving issues we face in our daily life. We see many advantages in improving our technological inventions because technology can also create new opportunities and reduce our struggle. The field of CDW management like any other field in our life has got big technological updates. Using science and experience can be our guide to managing CDW in a sustainable method.

Going through the materials and data about this topic, opened my eyes to many new facts and important lessons that taught me a lot about CDW. This type of waste is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed and analyzed on a global scale because of its major impact on the environment. We learned that any environmental crisis never stays locally and is never limited to one spot on our planet. The problem of greenhouse emissions has a very massive impact on the whole planet and the chance of humanity to secure its existence in the future. These impacts go beyond the borders of the countries that do not want to take this issue seriously and affect even those who work as hard and seriously as they can to cut down these harmful practices and emissions.

I realized the amount of CDW that we generate in our daily activities is too serious and more than my previous expectations. I became a stronger believer in my commitment to working to find a sustainable management solution for this type of waste.

I want to spot the light on new materials and new types of CDW we must be prepared to manage and treat. So far, most of the CDW contains traditional materials we have been familiar with for a long time. But with the updates, we have seen in the field of construction,

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building materials, and infrastructure, we must deal with and manage some new types of CDW. Waste generated from wind turbines and solar energy systems after the end of their lifespan is a new type of waste. I found that so far, the largest percentage of the nonrecyclable or reusable parts of these systems including retired turbine blades end in landfills. This type of waste has large volumes of materials and needs a large space in landfills if that would be the only management method to handle this waste. We must realize that there will be larger amounts of this type of waste in the future, so must think about the best method to manage this waste.

Sending this type of waste to landfills is like creating a massive grave for undecomposable materials that will stay in these massive graves for an extremely long time. Simple calculation means we need to create a continent only for burying these materials in the future. We cannot continue doing this and we cannot afford the impacts of this serious issue on the environment.

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Picture credit- https://stopthesethings.com/tag/wind-turbine-blade-hazardous-waste/

I found some interesting ideas to manage this type of waste far from landfill solutions.

An organization in Denmark managed to turn the retired blades of the wind turbine into bike shelters.

In the US. We have specialized facilities that shred the non-recyclable waste from wind turbines including blades and supply cement manufacturing facilities across the U.S used as a replacement for coal. Using the shreds of waste to generate the necessary energy for the industrial sector or to supply grid power companies with electricity without any doubt is a smarter solution.

The principle of turning our waste into a resource is not a slogan, it is a realistic and responsible sustainable goal. Turning waste into a resource must be a strategic international goal. This principle can be a great sustainable solution in our life. It can reduce greenhouse 72

emissions, reduce mining destruction, and other environmental impacts. It can increase our economic benefits, reduce material costs, and create more sustainable jobs. The social benefits of this principle can be found in a healthier environment and in increasing the public sense of responsibility and ability to make decisions about the future and health of our planet.

I found that so far, the building sector and CDW management in the world are not doing all that we can to reduce CDW generation. We still send a serious amount of CDW to landfills which should not be a choice in CDW management at all. Also, the world is not recycling all possible recyclable materials included in CDW. We cannot depend on personal or small group volunteering efforts in this field. There is still a big gap between our practices and the best practices in construction and demolition projects. Illegal dumping of CDW is still a genuine issue in many countries around the world including in industrial rich countries.

We need a comprehensive plan monitored and ensured by authorities to create a sustainable management solution for waste in general and especially for CDW. Such a plan must be discussed and compared between many countries around the world to reach optimal solutions and better results for managing CDW.

6.2- Assumptions and results Through this research and study, I reached a better understanding of many aspects related to CDW management. Our essential need for building new structures and facilities is never going to be less than what we have in the present time. Therefore, our techniques

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and policies must be scientifically reviewed and revised to become more sustainable and more convincing.

The field of construction is currently one of the biggest waste-generating sectors. The impacts of this large waste generation are extremely high on the economy, the environment, and many parts of our life. We better must start looking for better management solutions for this type of waste and invest all our experience, knowledge, and integrated technologies to turn CDW into a useful resource.

I understand that there will always be a percentage of the materials used in the building and construction process that would be considered useless or waste. Even these unwanted materials onsite must be given another chance to be used in the construction sector or any other sector. A considerable amount of energy, money, effort and natural resources were spent to create these materials, so we need to make the maximum use possible of these materials.

We should not accept continuing the same CDW management strategies and practices we have nowadays. It is hard to digest the fact that only one-third of the general CDW generation in the United States is reused or recycled. When we take into consideration the high level of our technology and knowledgeability, we must expect better performance and a higher percentage of reused and recycled CDW. The total amount of CDW generation is too large to be ignored or underestimated.

We must find better ways to control CDW generation and review our onsite practices to reduce waste generation as a prevention strategy. This strategy can be very effective because it increases energy efficiency and reduces cost.

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Identifying waste as the end-of-life phase of material with no use or no value is not the right description for CDW. The very last phase of a material is when becomes nothing or has no existence. This is not a slogan to stimulate attention about this topic, but this is the scientific fact, and this general understanding people believe in. We must consider all possible applications to recover materials or energy from the generated CDW to make sure nothing is wasted. We must stop creating more problems for the environment and impact the health of our only planet.

The technology available in our hands nowadays makes our goal of sustainable management for CDW achievable and very possible. We can increase our ability to reduce, reuse, and recycle to approach the theoretical goal of bringing %100 of CDW generation to have multiple life use.

The goal to achieve sustainable management for CDW is technically achievable and within the reach of our hands. To achieve such a goal, we need to see actions on the ground, and we need to see the systemic change in our practices. This mission needs to educate the public about the impacts of traditional CDW management and the possible solutions.

CDW must be a priority in a sustainable green shift towards a closed-cycle economy because it has less organic and bio-waste. The components of CDW can be described as limited materials compared to solid waste, so sustainably managing this type of waste must be easier and less costly than managing solid waste. Sending almost 70% of CDW generation to landfills is the wrong management method.

The following steps are my vision summary for a roadmap we need to follow to integrate CDW management to become sustainable management –

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1- A general professional review of all our policies, standards, and codes to ensure our sustainable management shift in the field of CDW management. New green standards and codes must be set at a national level.

2- At an early stage of planning for a project, all designing, programming, and planning must take all responsible measures to reduce CDW generation through the life span of that project.

3- Objectives and strategic goals for project CDW management must be studied and set for the project before starting to work onsite. These objectives must cover all phases of the project life phase (construction phase, occupancy or operation phase, maintenance and renovation phase, and demolition phase). Local authorities must get involved in identifying renewable CDW management standards for all projects. It would be very helpful if the authorities start an incentive program to encourage better sustainable management practices in the field of CDW. 4- During the construction phase, the construction management team must carefully select and specified building materials that generate less waste. When they select materials, the top choice must be materials with high recycled content, easily renewable materials with the minimum possible harm to the environment. The choices must take into consideration life-cycle assessment and the impacts of those materials. Choosing materials that are extracted and manufactured locally is very important to reduce waste and pollution besides reducing CDW generation.

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5- Applying integrated and advanced technologies especially smart technology and automated machines in the field of CDW management. More facilities for recycling CDW components must be built and a pore professional workforce must be hired to increase the capacity and the efficiency of recycling these materials. Investing in this field would have a great result on our environment, economy, and societies.

Figure 20, a diagram for a proposed roadmap that leads to sustainable management for CDW. The solution is based on changing the standards and codes, adapting sustainable planning, designing responsible onsite practices, and using integrated technology to increase our infrastructures and facilities for managing CDW.

Figure 20. CWD Sustainable Management Roadmap

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6.3- Evaluate the material I searched and my favorite ideas I found plenty of useful resources and published materials from many countries about CDW. There is a substantial number of interesting researchers, data, and many professional analyses for generating and managing CDW. It was not surprising to find a wide range of useful studies and research about this topic because it is a very important topic that attracts a lot of attention.

I got a good picture of how other countries progress in the field of sustainable CDW management. I came across very useful professional recommendations and scientific analysis for the future of sustainable CDW management.

I have also reviewed some guideline policies for some CDW service companies in the US. Some companies have successfully managed to reuse and recycle beyond the goal of 70% that was set by the new protocol in the EU. I enjoyed educating myself about many prospects I found in the materials I searched.

The result I concluded after going through these resources and comparing them to the upto-date standards and technology, is we are not moving as fast and responsible as we should. Recycling and reusing 70% or more of CDW is a very achievable goal indeed.

Such a goal would make a fundamental improvement in the building and construction sector.

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CHAPTER SEVEN SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

7.1- Summary In human civilization history, humans learned from each other and their own mistakes. Building on experience, observation, and avoiding failures from the past made humans more resilient and provided us with better knowledge and technology to enhance our life quality.

In our present and after being acknowledged the serious impacts of our habits on the chances of humanity to sustain life on Earth for generations to come, it is logical to realize it is time to stop and think about our actions in general. The responsibility of every human being enjoying living on this planet is to preserve this planet and never to cause any harm to living resources.

The habit of consuming without understanding the conscience and the impact on our natural resources is extremely dangerous and must end. Treating all materials, we do not need, always as trash or useless materials is another dangerous wasteful habit that must also stop.

The relationship between energy, materials, lifestyle, and the environment is not too complicated to be figured out and studied. We still can enjoy a comfortable lifestyle and benefit from natural resources but in a sustainable manner that would never cause bleeding of these resources. We should not be at war with the environment that secures our existence on this planet and provides us with all our needs. We can achieve a level of balance between

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our needs and our environmental health. This method of balance is the main goal of sustainability.

Building materials are very essential to human life and prosperity, so our demand for these materials will continue to grow. The sustainable management method for CDW would provide the sector of building and construction with additional renewable resources and would reduce the amount of energy we consume in this sector. As discussed in chapter 1, building materials consume a large amount of energy and also emit a large amount of greenhouse gases during the materials' life cycle. When we reduce our dependence on raw materials, we reduce the energy consumption and the greenhouse gases that are related to this industry.

The data for the mass of CDW generation and the trends that predict a serious global increase in the future in CDW generation must be a warning for us to look for sustainable solutions sooner rather than later. Traditional management for CDW so far, especially illegal dumping and landfills is not acceptable anymore because of the serious damage they cause to the environment and public health.

I found the sustainable CDW management topic a very interesting one to study and analyze. I discovered the potential and the benefits we could gain by adapting sustainability management methods in this field. Preserving natural resources and recovering all possible materials and energy from this type of waste responsibly and sustainably is the answer to the dilemma of waste and pollution from CDW. In this thesis, I put together a description of the problem by identifying CDW and showing the mass of CDW generation. I cleared the reasons that make sustainable CDW management important in our life from an environmental, social, and economic

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perspective. Through this research, I organized a roadmap and ideas to reduce generating CDW and manage the generated CDW sustainably and responsibly. I depended in most of my analysis on my knowledge and experience in the field of construction and architectural design especially when I analyzed the practices and management methods onsite.

7.2- Conclusion The following conclusions can be attracted from this thesis: -

The size of the CDW market is very large and there is an urgent need to study and analyze this field based on the current data and the trend of this industry.

-

The natural resources for building materials can be endangered if we continue using them irresponsibly.

-

The methods we use to manage CDW so far need to be reviewed and updated up to the highest sustainable standards to become more sustainable and ecofriendlier.

-

The shift to sustainable CDW management is achievable and no need to wait longer to adopt a new standard.

-

Sustainable CDW management can help reduce the use of raw materials which would have many environmental, economic, and social benefits.

-

The largest percentage of CDW generated can be reused, recycled, or send to Energy-To-Waste plants to generate electricity or forms of energy.

-

Sustainable CDW can create more jobs, reduce the cost of building materials, and provide us with better quality and more efficient buildings.

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-

The costs and the impacts of using landfills as the main method to manage CDW are not a good method anymore because of the up-to-date technology and ability to manage CDW sustainably.

-

Since the methodology of sustainability can enhance the life-quality and support environmental health, we must apply these principles to all sectors and life activities without any hesitation.

-

The solution for the CDW dilemma needs a comprehensive plan and cooperation from all parts involved in the building and construction sector, environmental protection and public health sector, the manufacturing sector, architectural and structural design sector, and governmental political leadership.

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REFERENCES

1- Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste, and Recycling, EPA https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-andrecycling/construction-and-demolition-debris-material 2- Sustainable Management of Construction and Demolition Materials, EPA https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-management-construction-and-demolitionmaterials 3- National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes, and Recycling https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/nationaloverview-facts-and-figuresmaterials#:~:text=The%20total%20generation%20of%20municipal%20solid%20waste% 20%28MSW%29,were%20recycled%20and%2025%20million%20tons%20were%20co mposted.

4- Construction and Demolition Debris Management in the United States, 2015 https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/documents/final_cd-eolmanagement_2015_508.pdf 5- EU Construction and Demolition Waste Protocol and Guidelines, European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/growth/news/eu-construction-and-demolition-waste-protocol-201809-18_en 6- Construction and Demolition Debris Processing Facilities, Department of Environmental Conservation, State of New York https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/23686.html 7- Construction & Demolition Waste Manual, Department of Design and Construction, City of New York https://www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/downloads/pdf/waste.pdf 8- Guideline for the Beneficial Reuse of Solid Waste https://www.dit.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/921224/Technical_Services__EHTM_-_Part_9_-_Contamination_-_Attachment_9A_Beneficial_Reuse_of_Solid_Waste.pdf

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9- Environmentally Sustainable Building Materials - Selection https://www.dit.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/293688/Environmentally_Sustaina ble_Building_Materials.pdf

10- Industrial and Construction and Demolition (C&D) Landfills, EPA https://www.epa.gov/landfills/industrial-and-construction-and-demolition-cd-landfills

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GREG WINKLER Copyright © 2010 by Greg Winkler. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a database

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INDUSTRY NEWS, Aggregates, Legislation & regulation, M&A, Wood DEPARTMENTS, Equipment report, Product spotlight

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Published simultaneously in Canada.- Building with Earth Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture Gernot Minke Birkhäuser – Publishers for Architecture Basel · Berlin · Boston Printed in Germany ISBN-13: 978-3-7643-7477-8 ISBN-10: 3-7643-7477-2

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WEBSITES

1- Association of Energy Engineers: http://www.aeecenter.org 2- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: http://www.nrel.gov 3- NYIT Solar Decathlon Home Page: http://www.nyit.edu/solar 4- U.S. Dept. of Energy Solar Decathlon: http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar_decathlon 5- Construction Waste Management https://www.wbdg.org/resources/construction-waste-management 6- Department Of Planning, Transport, And Infrastructure https://dpti.sa.gov

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